The first snow fell last night and part of today. We measured about 2" of snow on the ground with lots of wetness below it. Our rain gauge measured about .7" of moisture. By evening the snow was melted off, but the skies continued to be gray and blustery, dropping rain and sometimes snow. When it gets around freezing tonight, we may wake up to another snow like the one in the picture. This is a good, wet kind of snow-rain mix that puts all of the trees and grasses to bed for winter with a good drink so roots can freeze. We still have leaves on many of the trees so they are really weighed down with snow.
My garden is all cleared off now. My daughter-in-law and the grands helped me dig potatoes and we split them up between the kids and their families. The potato patch was a group effort this year with both DILs and grands helping to plant, and the men (bless their hearts) brought us straw to cover the patch. We weighed about 130 pounds of potatoes harvested and we only planted 12-13 pounds of potatoes cut up for seed. I also dug up all the carrots and have three full grocery bags in my spare fridge. I cut several grocery bags of late lettuce that I am so thankful for. I have a wheel barrow of acorn squash in the garage along with a bushel basket of beautiful, perfectly ripe, hole-free, bug-free, red apples. The apple tree is a "Northern Lights" which is a cross between a Haralson and a Macintosh and it is very cold hardy. The apples have a pinky-white flesh, are sweet and delicious to eat, and they make a wonderful pie. I'd say the gardens were very productive this year, minus the tomato failure. But hey, that's the way gardening is. We are expecting more freezing cold temperatures tonight and chances of more snow. The fall moisture is a good thing for us, even if it does come in the form of wet snow. There are some warmer days on the horizon!
Has the fall turned cold and wet where you are? Happy October everyone.
Your garden certainly was productive! If I ever find a "Northern Lights" apple in the store I will be sure to try one. They sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteThe snow seems to have arrived early but you seem pleased to have the moisture so it's all good.
There are many places East and North of us with early snow also. Here we probably won't see any until end of November or later, if at all. With the weather changes in recent years we don't know what to expect.
Oh my ,really? I love your snow! I love too your productivity. Maybe we'll actually get around to moving the pear tree soon, before it does get frosty here too!
ReplyDeleteHello darling Jody. Those apples are gorgeous. Pie. Pie is a thing of beauty.
ReplyDeleteBill is in Taiwan so the neighbor boy came to mow this morning (they were doing pre college test practice at school and he didn't want to pay for that - he's a smart young Eagle Scout) and he said it is supposed to snow later. I turned the heat down because I was a little warm in my wool socks and cardi. Tim is curled up on a cushion.
Your bountiful harvest is A-plus! Potatoes are such a blessing of a food, so mild and filling.
God be with you, sweet friend.
First snow...soon I'll be reporting that, too. Finally have a break from unpacking boxes and I'm trying to catch up with all my favorite blogs. Happy Fall to you and I think I'll go out and pick all my acorn squash and stick it in the shop/garage. Is your garage attached to your home? Pretty apples!
ReplyDeleteYes, the garage is attached to our home. It stays pretty decent in there until we start getting super cold and then I have to bring squash and that sort of thing indoors.
DeleteThat is a convincing end of summer! It is cozy-making to hear about all your harvest gathered in. All those potatoes sound like good winter comfort-food.
ReplyDeleteHere, the temps dropped down out of the 80's at least, and today it didn't even get to 70 degrees. I will be gone for a few weeks and when I get back it will be just about the right time to bring in my butternut crop!!
That snow sounds lovely and I'm glad it's something that's good for your plants. Here in NC we definitely don't have snow, it's still in the 80's, but we had the major hurricane Florence last month and tomorrow we will get the tropical storm from hurricane Michael. I grew up in the Midwest so I have a lot more experience with snow than hurricanes! It does water our parched ground though!
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your gardens! The past few years the squirrels have eaten everything that I've tried to grow.
Snow in October! Amazing. I am a little envious of your white world.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Wow, Jody! Snow! I'm glad y'all are getting the moisture you need. Your apples look so pretty -- and what a great garden year! I look forward to seeing more of your chilly photos; they help me to handle our hot temperatures down here, haha! Glad you had many hands to help with your garden clean-out; that makes it more fun.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you have snow already. Before Halloween! Your garden haul sounds wonderful. Those apples are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIts still warmish here but this morning it looks like fall is going to stay. I love seeing the snow.
Yeah, I think we got the same wet snow you did. Wednesday night? We were a little worried about driving to church because we didn't want to drive home in a blizzard. But it wasn't bad. Nice harvest!
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